Threshold



H. A. KELLER Jan. 29, 1957 THRESHOLD Filed Aug. 15, 1955 INVENTORHIMIIIHI s:

MI I I I IHI I I IHHI HUHHHHHHHHHUWHHHH lllll i I I I l I 1 I I l I I II I l ATTORNEY nited States Patent 2,719,010 THRESHOLD Henry A. Keller,Hialeah, Fla. Application August 15, 1955 Serial No. 528,403

6 Claims. (Cl. 20 -454) This invention relates to thresholds of the typewhich coact with a door, when closed, to form a weather-tight sealbetween the bottom of the door and the floor.

I-leretofore, thresholds of this general type were provided with a heador groove which was adapted to engage with a lateral flange on thebottom of the door to form a seal. Both the head or groove on thethreshold and the flange on the door were formed of metal, or, possibly,spring metal, to resiliently engage each other. However, these metalflanges eventually tended to be bent out of shape so that they wereconstantly in need of repair in order to maintain their efficiency.Furthermore, during movement of the door, the flange would, in time,tend to contact the floor during its movement so that it would scrapethe floor and be, itself, bent out of shape as well as scratching thefloor. This would especially occur in instances where dirt, grit orother foreign particles would be caught between the flange and thefloor. These particles would act as abrasive bodies when pulled over thefloor by the projecting flange.

In addition to the above, once the flange on'the door did engage withthe appropriate part of the threshold, the engagement was rarely tightenough between the metal parts to effect a sufficient weather-tightseal. This would be especially the case if either the door, thethreshold or the flange should warp in even the slightest degree or bebent out of shape in any manner.

It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to overcome theabove, as well as other disadvantages of the prior types of thresholdsby providing an eflicient sealing means on the threshold itself.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a sealing means onthe threshold which is not easily worn out by frictional contact.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide an improvedthreshold, of the character described, that is easily and economicallyproduced, which is sturdy in construction, and which is highly eificientin operation.

With the above and related objects in view, this invention consists inthe details of construction and combination of parts, as will be morefully understood from the following description, when read inconjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a threshold embodying the presentinvention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, detailed view of an end portion ofthe threshold shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the threshold of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, cross-sectional view of the foreportion of the threshold, as shown in Fig. 3.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawing wherein similar referencecharacters refer to similar parts, there is shown a bar 10, preferablyconstructed of extruded aluminum or the like. The bar has a convexlycurved top wall 12, as best shown in Fig. 3. The top wall is providedwith ribs 14 throughout its length; these ribs 14 serving their usualfunction of acting as strengthening ice 2 means as well as acting asscraping means for the feet. At the rear edge of the wall 12, on theunder-surface thereof, there is provided a relatively small foot orenlargement 16 which is grooved on its lower surface, as at 18, to forma friction contact means with the floor.

Slightly spaced from the front edge of the wall 12, there is provided anintegral, depending flange 20. This flange 20 is spaced sufficientlyfrom the front edge 22 of the wall to form an undercut shoulder 24. Therear portion of the flange 20 is curved, as at 26, and is undercut toform a vertical shoulder 28.

At the front of the flange 20, there is provided a groove 30 which isround in cross-section. This groove extends the full length of theflange 20 which, in turn, extends the full length of the bar 10. Thisgroove 30 is open at its front end and the edges defining this frontopening or slot are beveled, as at 32. A relatively wide, forwardlyextending foot 34 extends out from the bottom of the flange 20; thisfoot 34 being provided with ribs 36 on the under surface thereof.

Positioned between the undercut shoulder 24 and the top surface of thefoot 34, adjacent the front surface of the flange 20, is a resilientplastic or rubber sealing strip 38 extending the full length of the bar.This strip 38 is held in place by means of a cross-sectionally round rib40, integral therewith and frictionally engaged within the groove 30.The rib 40 is tubular for greater resilience, and is, therefore, formedwith a central bore 42. Extending forwardly from the front face of thestrip 38 are two flanges 44 and 46. These flanges extend the full lengthof the strip.

A plurality of holes 48 are provided in the top wall 12 of the baradjacent the flange 20. These holes are adapted to receive screws 50 forconnecting the threshold to the floor. The ribs 18 and 36 on the feet 16and 34 act to frictionally engage the floor under pressure of thescrews.

The above-described threshold can be used in either of two ways. In oneway, it can be used with doors of the same type as heretofore usedwherein the doors have laterally extending metal flanges on theunderside thereof. In such cases, the flange on the door will engagebetween the two flanges 44 and 46 of the sealing strip. These sealingflanges 44 and 46, being constructed of a resilient material such asplastic or rubber, will more firmly and sealingly engage with the doorflange than could be the case where a mere groove as metal bead isprovided on the threshold. If the door flange should be somewhat warpedor bent out of shape, an efiicient seal will still be effected becausethe resiliency of the sealing flanges will make up for any misalignmentof the door flange.

On the other hand, the threshold of the present in vention may be usedin conjunction with a door having no flange at all. When such a door isclosed against the threshold, the portion of the door adjacent the loweredge presses against the flanges 44 and 46. These flanges form twoline-contact engagements with the door and, thereby, effect a highlyeflicient seal therewith. When the door is opened, it is pulled backfrom the flanges 44 and 46 so that no retarding friction is ever presentto prevent easy opening of the door. Furthermore, since the sealingstrip 38 and its flanges 44 and 46 are stationary, they are not subjectto rapid wear as would be the case of a strip movable with the door.

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, suchdescription is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting,since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of theinvention is to be determined as claimed.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, whatis claimed is:

l. A threshold unit comprising an elongated bar having two spaced apartelongated edges, means for connecting said bar to a floor surface withone elongated edge in contact therewith, a depending flange adjacent butspaced from the other elongated edge of said bar, a floor surfacecontacting foot extending laterally from the lower edge of said flange,and a sealing strip positioned on the outer face of said flange betweensaid other edge of said bar and said foot, said sealing strip having aplurality of laterally projecting sealing flanges extending out from theouter face thereof.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said sealing strip is positionedbetween an undercut shoulder, formed between said other elongated edgeof said bar and said depending flange, and said foot, there being agroove in the outer face of said depending flange lockingly engaging arib on the rear face of said sealing strip.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said elongated bar is provided with aplurality of spaced, serrated ribs extending longitudinally of the uppersurface thereof.

4. A threshold unit comprising an elongated bar having a front and rearedge, said bar being convexly curved downward from said front edge tosaid rear edge, a flange depending from said bar adjacent said frontedge but spaced rearwardly therefrom, the lower end of said flange beingpositioned in a common plane with the rear edge of said bar, a forwardlyextending lateral foot on the lower end of said flange, and a ribbedresilient, sealing strip positioned adjacent the front face of saidflange between the front edge of said bar and said foot.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein said flange is provided with alongitudinal groove in the front face thereof, and wherein said sealingstrip is provided with a longitudinal rib on the rear face thereof tofrictionally engage within said groove.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein the ribs on said sealing strip form aplurality of line-contact sealing flanges.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,881,661 Kelly Oct. 11, 1932

